


Growing Pains

by avalonroses



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Coming of Age, M/M, Puberty, courting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-15
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-12-30 02:55:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12099171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avalonroses/pseuds/avalonroses
Summary: Arthur presents as an omega and everything changes for Alfred.





	Growing Pains

Alfred can’t figure out why his mom looks at him like that so often these days.

Her eyes holding so much softness, brimming with affection for Alfred that it seems as though she’s at the cusp of melting, and the tinge of exasperation isn’t lost on Alfred either, he’s a smart kid, his straight A grades prove that—and he can read the ‘atmosphere’ or whatever everyone complains he can’t do. He can read it enough to know his mom is being gooey and mushy, but more so than usual.

Alfred has turned to his dad and his brother to get to the bottom of this issue—because it is an issue, it’s totally uncool for his mom to be ruffling his hair and cooing over him like he’s some kid. Mattie doesn’t do much more than usher Alfred from his room with an impatient ‘you’re being dumb’ and his dad, normally the best dad ever, the alpha who has always been Alfred’s role model, brushes off Alfred’s concerns as though it isn’t a big deal, claiming his mother is just ‘being an omega’.

Stung by his lack of support—mostly from his dad, Alfred’s always gone to his dad for help and this is the first time he’s failed Alfred, finding this funny of all things. But it’s so not funny.

His mom is embarrassing him. In front of Arthur.

There have been a lot of changes recently, things have been getting pretty crazy and Alfred’s head has been spinning as he’s been trying to adjust.

Craziest of all is that he’s at an age where he’s turning into a grown-up, he’s twelve now, yeah, it’s awesome, twelve candles on a cake is the bomb, but, disappointingly, Arthur had beat him to his final revolution. That’s what Alfred thinks it should be called, anyway, but adults decided on ‘puberty’, what the hell, but, anyway, Arthur’s a grown up now, he did puberty, had it, whatever happens, and now he’s an omega.

Arthur had scolded Alfred for asking how he’d known puberty had happened, claiming it was rude of him to pry and it was too private to discuss, which had hurt and his mom had to goad him out of sulking.

It’s not Alfred’s fault he’s curious about what Arthur had beat him to. Alfred still doesn’t know if he’s going to be an alpha, beta or omega and it sucks that his best friend gets to experience all of these exciting changes first, although Arthur is reluctant and sour to talk about it.

Arthur had moved to America from England a year ago and he and Alfred had become fast, inseparable friends, even if it seemed mismatched and the contrast of their personalities. It had been unthinking on Alfred’s part when he’d seen this small, shy boy with a snooty accent and scruffy hair curled up at the back of the classroom with no one to talk to, so Alfred had decided to be Arthur’s buddy and that had never changed.

Arthur’s grouchy, which gets on Alfred’s nerves sometimes, but he’s silly and clumsy and likes to hold Alfred’s hand a lot—and cry, too, geez, Arthur cries easily—and Arthur’s imagination is wild and thrilling, Alfred can never get enough of playing make believe with his best friend, or watching movies together or having sleepovers. They tell each other everything too, or they did, until Arthur started being a jerk because he was one of the first kids to get his type.

The omega frowns all the time now, and he seems to have reverted back to when he’d been bashful and skittish, but now he’s shy around Alfred.

Learning about puberty and the differences between omegas, alphas, and betas had been the grossest lesson ever and Alfred had earned himself several smacks from Arthur during it.

“Ugh, you’re gonna push a baby out of you one day, Artie,” Alfred comments, wincing as the class is spellbound with morbid interest and the seemingly impossible and disgusting process of birth. “Your butt is gonna explode.”

Arthur thumps him soundly on the arm, his eyebrows drawn down into a thick scowl, and he glares at Alfred, who rubs at the tender spot on his arm. Arthur might be a bit of a shrimp but he’s got a mean punch, Alfred’s well aware of that.

“What was that for?” Alfred squawks at his so-called friend.

“My… butt is not going to explode. Having a baby is perfectly natural,” Arthur responds, voice tight as he eyes the images on the board warily. “Besides, you don’t have your type yet, you might have to do that one day too,” the omega huffs.

Alfred’s never had a particular preference as to his type, it’s not as though anyone does, really, not until it’s too late, but Alfred does not like the thought of pushing a baby out of his butt even if it’s supposed to be ‘perfectly natural’. It sure doesn’t look natural.

And then the class is equally divided into awkwardly giggling students and repulsed, recoiling students as it is revealed how exactly babies are made—Alfred asked his mom this once and she totally lied and knowing his parents had done this at least twice turns Alfred’s stomach inside out.

Sex is just nasty.

There’s no way he can be an omega, he doesn’t want to have a baby or have a thingie up his butt either. Hopefully, he’ll be a beta because Alfred isn’t really taking a shine to the whole ‘being the one who sticks his thingie in someone’ either.

Alfred glances at Arthur from the side of his vision, stealthily observing the omega as he watches, with a distinctly unreadable expression and heat to his cheeks, as their teacher explains what a ‘heat’, ‘rut’ and ‘knot’ is. He considers what it would be like to… you know, do this ‘sex’ thing with Arthur, put that part of him into that part of Arthur and it doesn’t…

Seem that bad.

Actually, sensation tingles in the base of his abdomen, spreading fizzy warmth that pools into his blood and stirs that reaction that is apparently called an erection and seems to happen all the time without explanation recently. Though this one is definitely because of Arthur and guilt carves into that effervescent giddiness in his belly and stops Alfred from thinking of his best friend like that.

It’s weird and wrong and if Arthur ever found out, he’d hate Alfred forever and never speak to him again.

Arthur becoming an omega has directly resulted in the annoying issue he’s having with his mom, because whenever Arthur comes over to his house, which is a lot, she clasps her hands together against her chest and looks at them both as though they’re kicked puppies whimpering for a home.

It doesn’t help that Alfred becomes consumed with a drive to protect Arthur now that he’s an omega. He seems weaker and smaller now, which is weird since they’re both getting bigger and Arthur doesn’t at all seem to appreciate Alfred’s concern for his wellbeing, though the omega also is a lot clingier these days, which Alfred doesn’t mind. Arthur’s vulnerable, he doesn’t get it, but Alfred knows enough to keep the omega safe.

Alfred even feels compelled to give Arthur gifts when he’s particularly mopey—it happens a lot more these days, which is why Alfred’s begun to realise that omegas are hard work—but his mom gushes and eagerly encourages Alfred to get whatever cookies he wants for Arthur. Alfred can’t help but grumble because his mom never lets Alfred get cookies for himself but oh well, at least Arthur can have some.

He hands Arthur his treat before school and the omega appears to glow with his blush, Alfred laughs hysterically as Arthur’s freckles shine palely through the cherry hue of his face.

“Oh my god, your face is so red right now, Artie!” Alfred gasps, grinning madly as his friend. Arthur’s a strange guy and becoming an omega has only made him stranger.

Arthur’s expression morphs at breakneck speed, the smoothness of his shock wrinkling into creases of displeasure.

“Shut up,” Arthur barks under his breath, clutching the packet of cookies to his chest as though they’re precious despite how mad he seems to be with Alfred. Again, Alfred doesn’t get why, it’s not his fault Arthur blushes around him all the time now. “It’s your fault for giving them to me—” Arthur glances about the busy playground. “Out in the open like this.”

“Huh?” Alfred responds unintelligibly, but he is clueless, in his defense.

Arthur hasn’t become so prissy that there’s now an appropriate time for him to be gifted cookies, has he? Because that is really dumb.

“Uh… where am I supposed to give you cookies then?”

“Somewhere a bit more private would have been nice,” the omega snaps back.

“Artie, they’re just cookies,” Alfred says. “You’ve been kinda down recently and my mom said you might be— hormonal so I thought you could use a treat.”

Apparently, that is the wrong thing to say because a furious storm of emotion crosses Arthur’s face, all of which don’t look good, and then Arthur finally settles on burning, angry tears, crumpling into himself and then running away, clutching the cookies to his chest, and Alfred’s left standing there, numb and dumbstruck.

He just wanted to give Arthur cookies.

Arthur doesn’t speak to him after that, the omega swerving out of Alfred’s way and sitting cold and stiff in their lessons even though they’re right next to each other, and it hurts Alfred, it really does, so much so that he decides that fine, he won’t speak to Arthur either.

He was trying to be a good friend and Arthur had snubbed him, he’d been ungrateful and—his mom would scold him for this—he’s being an asshole.

Through the haze of rage, however, Alfred is forlorn, his heart heavy and swollen in his chest, and his mom has caught him crying a couple of times which smarts at this newfound pride he has, but he doesn’t like an omega seeing him cry so he has to be more secretive about it.

He’s lost his best friend and he doesn’t understand why.

It isn’t until a week later that he and Arthur interact again and it isn’t as Alfred would expect it to be—having wanted Arthur to apologise for being a complete a-hole and Alfred would forgive him because he’s a cool guy and feels like he’s missing a limb without Arthur around—but when he sees Arthur across the playground with a boy in their class who’s recently announced he’s an alpha, red scores across Alfred’s sense of reason.

He abandons Kiku, a quiet beta boy who is a close friend but he’s not Arthur, and he marches across the playground, a blackened whirlpool of roiling, sweltering emotion that has him irrational and wrathful and his muscles coiling with this potent, dark energy that he can’t seem to harness or control.

And then he’s punching the alpha Arthur’s talking to.

Alfred’s never had anything against this boy, he has no reason to dislike him even though they’re not friends and it doesn’t make any sense why he hates the alpha so much but Alfred throws punches and kicks with a simmering fury and sparking instinct.

He finds himself submerged in the cool reality of what he’s done when the cloud of rage clears and he’s waiting in the principal’s office, she’s eyeing Alfred with intimidating censure, and his left eye is throbbing. Maybe the alpha boy had hit him too, Alfred doesn’t remember, but when his mom shows up, all but radiating disapproval that makes the principal’s’ displeasure seem like a ray of sunshine, Alfred can’t help the tears the leak from his eyes.

“I’m sorry, mom,” Alfred sniffles in a wet, warbling voice. “I didn’t wanna hurt him—I don’t know what happened, I just felt really mad.”

It’s a sweet, liberating relief when the hard lines of his mom’s expression soften and she reaches up to stroke his hair, which he’d normally complain about but he doesn’t dare this time. She’s not furious with him, at least.

“Because he was talking to Arthur?” his mom questions and Alfred’s surprise that she knew why must be evident on his face because she chuckles knowingly. Alfred resents that. “Alfred, sweetheart, I kind of can’t believe you haven’t realised you’re an alpha yet.”

…what?

“Don’t look at me like that,” she admonishes, fond and patient. “You’re the only one that hasn’t figured it out yet. You’ve been trying to court Arthur since he told you he’s an omega and Arthur’s upset with you because he thinks you rejected him.”

Alfred mouth works silently as he tries to reply but he doesn’t know what to say or think. How was he supposed to know that? There have been no signs. Well, sometimes he thinks about Arthur in a naughty way and he’s woken up with messed sheets and something which could be a knot, but how’s Alfred actually supposed to know?

He thought… something happened, like he got an official invitation to the alpha club or he would suddenly look like his dad but he still looks like himself and nothing like alphas he sees in real life or on TV.

Alfred tells his mom this, since she hasn’t considered it apparently.

“But I don’t look like dad and—”

“Of course you don’t, you look like you, and you’re still growing. Trust me, Alfred, when you finish growing, all the omegas are going to think you’re the most handsome alpha ever,” she explains, smile teasing. “Arthur thinks that already.”

Alfred feels a little breathless at that notion.

Arthur thinks he’s handsome…?

Maybe Alfred has started to notice that Arthur’s cute but he hasn’t thought about whether that’s more than platonic.

Despite himself, he grins.

“He does?” he asks, and grins wider when his mom nods.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you can go around beating up alphas that go near him, okay?” she warns, giving him a stern look that has Alfred immediately nodding even if he thinks he doesn’t like other alphas going near Arthur and that’s not his fault.

When Arthur emerges into the corridor outside the principal’s officer, where his mom is having a ‘birds and the bees’ chat with him, Arthur appears rumpled and unhappy, clutching at the hem of his stuffy sweater in an unconscious display of shyness, obviously wanting to check on Alfred but awkward since he’s not supposed to be talking to Alfred.

Because he wanted Alfred to court him and had mistakenly thought Alfred hadn’t wanted that too.

And he’s so adorable.

He’s really pretty too, Alfred admits to himself.

Wow, this is weird.

He feels almost empowered. He’s an alpha, Arthur’s an omega, Arthur likes him in that way and Alfred does too. This is… kind of awesome.

“Go get him, tiger,” his mom whispers into his ear and then shoves him in Arthur’s direction.

Arthur straightens when Alfred hurries towards him, the alpha’s nerve shaking, his sense of empowerment dwindling as Arthur begins to tap his foot, his formidable brows forming a pronounced line of discontent over his eyes.

So much for having alpha courage.

“…hey,” Alfred greets the omega, summoning all his courage to smile uncertainly at his friend.

“What were you thinking?” Arthur blurts out in a heated rush. “You could have been hurt!”

“It’s okay, I’m tough!” Alfred announces, stupidly flexing his arms muscles and wincing as he realises he’s overexerted himself for today. And his muscles aren’t as impressive as he’d like. “I’m an alpha, how cool is that?”

Arthur blinks at him.

“Yes, I know,” the omega replies, confused by Alfred’s statement.

“I didn’t know until just now!” Alfred returns, beaming.

Arthur blinks again, this time it appears as though he’s struggling to maintain the anger marring his features.

“…you’re joking?”

“Nope! Mom just told me!” Alfred sucks in a breath, convincing himself that he’s brave and he already knows that Arthur will say yes… or he hopes, but maybe he’s blown his only chance and Arthur will never want to be courted by him again. Alfred splutters out words before his mind scatters into chaos, “Can I court you?”

Arthur looks at him for a long moment, his bright, fairy-like green eyes searching and distrustful at first, but then his gaze flickers to his feet and the endearing soft rose colour touches his cheeks and Alfred’s heart leaps in his chest.

“Yes, you idiot,” Arthur mutters out in a voice quiet enough that Alfred has to strain hear his answer but when Arthur’s acceptance registers, an exultant radiance surges in Alfred’s chest and he launches himself at Arthur, wrestling him into a hug.

The omega twists and protests, struggling in Alfred’s arms for a sliver of a second but he warms to the hug with dreamy ease, allowing his head to rest against Alfred’s chest, looking sweetly small in Alfred’s arms.

“Does this mean I have to put my thing in you?” Alfred asks after a few tranquil moments of basking in the tenderness of their embrace.

The peace is swiftly sliced through when Arthur draws back to whack him against the shoulder, his scowl returning with a vengeance.

“No!” the omega shrieks and Alfred feels thoroughly cowed—he was only asking, that seemed like the thing that omegas and alphas do when they court and Alfred isn’t as against it as he’d originally thought he’d be.

Oh well, as long as Arthur wants to be with him, he’s happy.

“Not yet, anyway,” he hears Arthur murmur into his t-shirt and he glances up at Alfred with a look that the alpha doesn’t understand now but he will one day, in the future.

**Author's Note:**

> For the USUK Christmas Exchange 2016.


End file.
